You might not need to wave a design-wand and give your kitchen a make-over, but remember the wise old adage: a change is as good as a feast. And it’s in your kitchen that you prepare the feasts for your family and friends to devour, not so? So, if you decide it’s time to inject your culinary craft with renewed energy and enthusiasm, but don’t know where to start, here’s how you can turn your kitchen into an inspiring new workplace to whet your appetite for creative cooking.
When asked what the top designers anticipate as trends for 2018 and onwards, the answer appears still to lie in the popularity of striking, solid colours and woodgrains, contrasting textures and colours, timber veneers, and metallic and concrete elements. Yet the main designer ingredient is individuality, and that your kitchen design should be tailored to fit with the expression of your personality right throughout the rest of your home. The variety of ideas that follow are simply a presentation of options to kick-start your own imagination about which combinations would suit your revamping tastes.
Layouts
The truth be told, choices in layout are not really yours to make, as the size and shape of your kitchen space imposes very specific limitations on your options. A narrow rectangular kitchen will not allow the designer freedom of a large, wide one, but even within the limits of the former there are creative options, like extending your cabinets right up to the ceiling. Also, you can compensate for not having the convenience of an island by using a narrow, but tall, farmstyle kitchen table as substitute. Equally you can counteract the lack of width with the use of mirrored-front cabinets and the odd mirror-tile – both of these will immediately make the space look larger. But if you are blessed with all the room your creativity needs, consider the following combinations of colours, tiles and cabinets.
An intergration of elements
As all elements in a kitchen work together to create the final, desired effect, one cannot deal with cabinets and tiles as entities separate from colour. But it is certainly advisable that we place the focus on cabinets and cupboards first, as these occupy almost half of the visual space. Only after you have decided on the colour and design details of your cabinets, can you decide on the colour of your tiles, your work surfaces, your floor, and your walls. Even the order in which these are listed here, is advisable. Ending with the walls might not seem sensible, but that is because the cabinets and cupboards cover and upstage them. Reflect on the following ideas.
Appetising combinations
Pastels in blue, yellow, pink and green go well with wood-effect finishes, yet designers feel that blue will be the dominant hue for 2018. Some are more in favour of a dusty green as being very versatile, earthy and fresh. A new combination of grey and beige has been termed “greige” and considered a flexible option, while some feel sandstone offers a more modern touch and will match well with darker shades. Plain old white might not be popular any longer, but sets off black countertops perfectly. Others consider that brown is rich and rustic and creates a warm and cosy kitchen feel. If you’re lucky enough to have a lot of natural light flooding in, go for bold-coloured cabinets.
Decorative detail
After you’ve made your cabinet and cupboard colour choice, consider the following designer detail to add the final touches and get you closer to knowing what tiles will work best. Glass door or glass-front cabinets work best if you opt for opaque glass or glass with a pattern; this way the effect of lightness is conveyed while what could be a messy inside, is concealed. Grooved cabinetry or distressed cabinets evoke that time-worn feel, while stained pine cabinets or planked cabinetry fits in with almost every style or mood. Use shelved cabinets in your island for extra packing space. Brass cabinet drawer handles or pulls on pale cabinets can contrast effectively with busy-patterned tiles. Mixed-material cabinets are also a stylish way forward: you can install stainless steel drawers to wooden cabinets, or keep cabinets pale and plain, but add rustic hinges. Hardware-free cabinets with cut-out handholds work well on your island drawers, too.
An impact in tiles
Once you are ready for your choice in tiles, here are ideas to make your backsplash the ultimate in designer flair. As mentioned above, ceiling-height tiles can be innovative and impactful, and as for a range in choices, the list is near-endless. Here are a few ideas that have proved they provide creative punch:
- mirrored tiles give a gleaming effect; tiles that resemble brick are rustic;
- colour-striped marble tiles lend a touch of class;
- glossy black can look dramatic with bold-coloured cabinets;
- tiles with a floral design introduce a natural element, or you can add in a couple of hand-painted tiles amidst plain ones for the same effect – choose tiles inspired by patterns in nature, like the rays of the sun, waves of the sea, or branches of trees.
- You can opt for loom glass tiles or glazed ceramic ones, or go for white-tiled walls with grey grout for a subtly interesting effect that will suit almost any colour combination. For a playful effect, colour-patterned tiles could be your route, but ensure that the rest of your kitchen is in quieter hues for ease on the eye.
Amongst this dizzying array of stylish design combinations, you can find the freedom to indulge your imagination to the full. You should find yourself with a brand-new kitchen that is functional, family-friendly, inviting to both friends and guests, and a statement in good aesthetic taste. Your original, individual combination of choices will reflect that you can dish up far more than just good food!
Udumo Group delivers interior décor and design services by empowering unemployed people with skills development initiatives. We believe in investing in the individual, nurturing inherent skills, and uplifting communities. We hold as our mission making the future sustainable by mentoring meaningful change in the wider environment. Our interior design philosophy is to design beautiful spaces that are both functional and timelessly pleasing. We have proved that promoting the values of creative excellence, discipline and commitment can bring forth the beauty within each person and reflect it in both private and public living spaces around them.
For information on Udumo Group, visit: www.udumogroup.co.za